“V FOR VENDETTA” Are We (Heading) There?

This is not a movie or band review. This weekend, my children and I drove down to San Francisco (350 miles) so that they could go to a dinner concert of “Clap Your Hands, Say Yeah”. They had a fabulous time. My husband and I did not think we would enjoy the music, so we declined our children’s invitation to go with them. We stood outside and listened for a while and thought we might have made a mistake. The band did sound good.

Instead we walked all over that area of San Francisco. Stopping in for some great Thai food. Later stopping in for some coffee. It was a great night for walking in that glorious city.

The next day, we all went to the movie “V for Vendetta”. My son, Alexander, has had the 1990 edition of the Graphic Novel, by Alan Moore and David Lloyd, for years and has tried to get me to read it. As soon as I saw the ads for the movie, I borrowed his book.

I did not get to finish it before we left. But I will. I usually want to watch the movie before I read the book. The movie is rarely as good as the book and I don’t like to know the story before I see the movie. The book is always so different than the book, so I can read it after seeing the movie. This book has so much more detail and there were a few major changes from the book to the movie. But, even Alexander enjoyed the movie.

The movie was great! It had a fast pace, once the opening dialog ended. The “Laugh In” scene had all of us laughing, which was good, since most of the movie made you uncomfortable with watching what could be, in the near future, what we may become. It was an enjoyable couple of hours.

It was interesting, that with fear so pervasive, the people of Great Britain locked themselves into their homes, even when the curfew was not in force. The curfew was most of the time, except when you were working. The people seemed to be just staying alive, which is different than living a life. They watched life through their television, which was all Government Television.

The interesting part, was that it was the young people who saw through everything first. They laughed at the “Great Leader” first. Have you ever wondered where the stand up comedian’s are in the last five years? Where is the person, who can do the President so well, that we can all laugh at the him? The Rich Little, (who did every President since John F. Kennedy) of our time? It is not the same to read his blunders. Or to see them live when he gives his speeches. Thank goodness for Tivo, because I usually have to go back and make sure that I really heard what I thought I heard.

The best way to stop some ridiculous group, is to get the people laughing at their outrages. Laugh at their beliefs which don’t make sense. Laugh at their statements which don’t make sense. Point out that they are not practicing what they preach. Rush Limbaugh comes to mind. He believes and screams that all drug users belong in prison. Yet, he does not believe that he should have to pay the same price. Why? Because he is Conservative and he only uses prescription drugs, (illegally obtained, but still legal drugs). Newt Gingrich who believes in family values, except when it comes to his zipper not staying up around many women.

I was excited to see so many young people. I think my husband and I were two of the four old people in the theater. I hope they came away with the feeling and the desire to stop the encroachment on our rights. To not let fear stop you from living life.

I have almost given up on my generation. We stopped the Vietnam war. We were so willing to make our Government accountable. What happened? Did you get so caught up in acquiring more, that you forgot we owe this earth everything? That we owe our children and grandchildren a better life and environment than what we had? Did you forget, that all we have is love? That peace on earth is possible!

I know, you are so in debt that you can not take off from work to protest. You are afraid to protest. You have lost your passion of youth, to right wrongs!

You radical hippies of yesteryear. Go see this movie. Take your children, grandchildren, Niece’s and nephew’s with you. Get your neighbor’s to go, your friends.

You college students, high school students. Go see this movie. Take your old parents with you. Afterward, take them out for desert and ask them what they did during the war (Vietnam).

All of you, start a dialog about what is happening in this country. What can you do to right the wrongs.

Start talking! Start thinking! Start acting! We will never impeach Mr. Bush as long as Mr. Cheney and Mr. Hassert are waiting in the wings to become the President. We must change the Congress this Autumn! America and the world needs us to. Don’t let them have those headlines they had after the last Election: “How could over 51 million American’s be so dumb”? Stupid was also mentioned.

You have just been a spectator to being an American Citizen. You must start being a participant. A citizen can not just observe. American Citizenship demands that you think, that you act, that you participate!

Take the time to write your local paper about any of the wrongs you see or hear. Write your Congressman and Senator. Write your police department when you see a wrong, but write when you see something right done.

Take a few minutes every weekend to write letters. Most can be done online. Support those who are doing, voting and acting in a way which helps to make this a better country. Send them money, send them letters and get out the vote for them and your positions.

One of my dear friends, wrote me that he would not be coming back to this site, because he has turned Conservative in his old age. That “you (meaning me) are still a fine person”. He then went on to quote Winston Churchill, .” If you are twenty and not a liberal you don’t have a heart. If you are forty and not a conservative you don’t have a brain”. I had to respond that he must not appreciate our Founding Father’s brains. As they were old and yet they were Classic Liberals. They gave us the most Liberal Document in history. I take it as a compliment that I am a Liberal/Progressive and can still think, use my heart and not cave into being petrified by fear.

“If you think yourself too wise to involve yourself in Government, you will be governed by those too foolish to govern.”

~PLATO~